Instagram is exploring new content formats and television-focused features as it seeks to expand its presence on connected TVs and compete more directly with streaming platforms.
The company announced that it is testing support for longer-form videos, episodic content, and live television-style experiences within its TV application.
The move follows Meta’s recent efforts to encourage serialized content on Instagram and Facebook through new creator tools designed to help audiences follow ongoing video series.
Instagram said the TV app is also being expanded to Samsung smart TVs, adding to its existing availability on Amazon Fire TV and Google TV devices.
As part of the update, users will gain access to personalized content channels, phone-to-TV casting capabilities, support for horizontal video formats, and the ability to view Stories directly through the TV application.
According to Instagram, the new channels feature will organize content around users’ interests, including categories such as sports, comedy, and creator-specific programming.
The company is also testing a dedicated section for horizontal videos, a move that aligns more closely with traditional television viewing experiences and long-form content consumption.
Users will additionally be able to cast Reels and saved content from their smartphones directly to their televisions, while Stories will become viewable on the TV app for the first time.
The latest developments highlight Instagram’s growing ambitions beyond short-form mobile video as the platform seeks to compete not only with TikTok and YouTube, but also with major streaming services in the connected TV market.
